Magic Pueblo: Cuetzalan, Puebla, Mexico

Cuetzalan (Kwetz-ah-lahn), designated as a Pueblo Magico, is a mountain town in the Sierra Norte tropical rainforest, three and-a-half hours on the Via Rapido bus and 183 km from the city of Puebla and three hours from Veracruz on the Caribbean. The only months it doesn’t rain here are April and May.

It is a lush, green misty, mysterious wonderland. Orchids drape and cling to the sides of trees. Men in white shirts and pants, straw hats, leather thong sandals, sling palm woven bags across their shoulders. Women are either barefoot or wear ballerina slippers.

Stunning, intricate needlework blouses that depict the flowers and wildlife of the region cover them. Children scamper and adults pick their way carefully up and down the sawtooth stone steps that frame the steep, granite cobbled streets. The slippery stones remind me of climbing Palenque.

I’ve been wanting to make this pilgrimage trip for six years, ever since I heard about Cuetzalan from photographer friends Sam and and Tom Robbins. Their extraordinary black and white art photos of steep, cobblestone streets lined with near vertical steps were engraved in my memory.

I invited my sister Barbara, who lives in Santa Cruz, California to join me to explore this rich textile region of Mexico. On the day our Women’s Creative Writing and Yoga Retreat ended last Friday morning, I was on a four-hour bus to Puebla, where we met, spent the night, and then started out on this see-Mexico-by-bus journey together.

We arrived on Saturday afternoon in time for the extraordinary once a week Sunday market (tianguis). It was not difficult to spend the entire day roaming market stalls. The town square was obscured by covered stalls filled with handcrafts, fruit, vegetables, and meat.

In the afternoon, the Voladores (the flyers) climbed to the top of a 100 foot wood pole on the Zocalo in front the the church and spread their wings in flight, arms and legs twirling, outstretched, performing the pre-Hispanic ritual that guarantees renewal of life.

In addition to their needlework skill, Cuetzalan women also weave quechquemitls (kech-keh-mees). These are the wonderful over the head, one-piece “shawls” that were designed by Nahautl women and adopted by indigenous peoples throughout Mexico. There is the wool variety, first handwoven on the back-strap loom, then embellished with cross stitch floral patterns or with intricate running stitches that tell a story of the natural world. The women also weave quechquemitls using natural manta or synthetically colored cotton (not many are using natural dyes any more).

These can be embellished with commercially purchased fringes. Others are even lighter weight (remember, it’s humid here) and woven with white polyester interspersed with glittery threads that illuminate in the sunlight. The tips of these are embroidered with an intricate bird feet pattern on the two points of the quechquemitls. The women are shy but their traje (costume) is filled with exuberance and they are proud of their handwork.

Our Cuetzalan base for two nights was Hotel Taselotzin, Calle Yoloxochitl, S/N Barrio de Zacatipan, hoteltaselotzin.com.mx, phone (223) 331-0480. I did my research. Fulbright Scholars participants stay here. So do U.S. university study abroad programs based in Puebla. While we were there a group of Dartmouth College students were staying at the hotel and going out during the day to work with young people in rural communities. The hotel is operated by a women’s cooperative that supports artisans and educational programs. They have an excellent kitchen that prepares delicious food (order sopa de hongos — wild mushroom soup) at very reasonable prices and a lovely gift shop with high quality work. The location is not central, but it is quiet, lush and peaceful. Rooms have private baths.

Highlights of Cuetzalan:

Of course! the Sunday market, a frenzy of activity. You need to know your textiles to pick out the higher quality pieces

Traditional practices of weaving with natural dyes and manta cloth are dying out with the older generation.

There are evangelical Christians working in Cuetzalan. This is a very poor area and the promises of a better life are very appealing to some.

Clothing Recommendations: It’s damp here and everything is moist. Bring along a polypropylene shirt and leggings, wool socks, wool sweather or buy a beautiful wool quechquemitl. Barbara suggests a walking stick for the steep, slippery cobblestone streets, a rain jacket with hood and a clear plastic cover for your camera with a rubber band to keep it dry. I wore a wool hat and my Patagonia shirt and leggings under a skirt and short sleeve top. During the day I topped it off with one wool quechquemitl. At night, I needed two to keep me warm.

How to Get There: A direct Via bus from Puebla CAPU costs 116 pesos one way per person. There are actually two schedules. The Via Rapido takes 3-1/2 hours and makes two stops. There is another version that makes more stops along the way and takes an hour longer. Take ginger drops in water and chew candied ginger and/or take a motion sickness pill if you are susceptible, since the last hour of the trip is on a narrow, winding mountain road.

Wow YES Cuetzalan is definitely un ‘Puelbo Magico’ no?
I have to reco the wonderful Feria de Huipil y Cafe which takes place the first part of October in Cuetzalan. At this time all the small pueblos in the area come into town with their dance troups (fabulous costumes) and the Voleadores are non-stop all day. The contest for the ‘Reina’ of the festival takes place on Saturday. She is chosen among the young un-married girls of the various pueblos. The contestants wear incredible massive head dresses of twisted yarn and their best quechquemitles and blouses (Huipiles) and present about their culture in Nahuatl and Spanish. Lots of wonderful textiles during this time as their is a ‘concurso’ competition for best weaving and embroidery. This time is truly magic – but make lodging reservations a few months in advance. Google Feria de Huipil y Cafe for the 2012 dates.

Sheri, I always love the quality of of commentary that you add to the textile dialog. Yes, to the fabulous costumes of Cuetzalan, the flight of the voladores, and to the October festival. Wouldn’t it be great if we could make a pilgrimage there together with a group of like-minded textile lovers. Let’s think about it. Abrazos.

Why We Left, Expat Anthology: Norma’s Personal Essay

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Norma Schafer and Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC has offered programs in Mexico since 2006. We have over 30 years of university program development experience. See my resume.

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